DB has started the modernisation and electrification of Hochrhein Railway (Hochrheinbahn) which will significantly improve transport services on the Upper Rhine line between Basel and Erzingen.
Representatives from politics, public administration, Deutsche Bahn (DB) and the various partners and construction companies met in Waldshut to celebrate the launch of the project on September 20, 2025. The event was attended by Berthold Huber, Member of the Management Board for Infrastructure at DB AG, Christa Hostettler, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, Winfried Hermann, Minister of Transport for the State of Baden-Württemberg, Esther Keller, Councillor of the Canton of Basel-Stadt and Head of the Department of Construction and Transport, Marion Dammann, Chief Executive of the District of Lörrach and Martin Kistler, Chief Executive of the District of Waldshut.
“More efficient, more reliable, more environmentally friendly – with the expansion and electrification of the Hochrhein Railway, we’re making rail travel between Germany and Switzerland significantly more attractive. The border region can look forward to a denser network, more connections, and higher quality services,” Berthold Huber, Member of the Management Board for Infrastructure at DB AG, said.
By December 2027, DB will install 130 km of overhead lines along the 75-km route between Basel Badischer Bahnhof and Erzingen (Baden). To do this, 1,600 masts will be erected. The stations in Tiengen (Hochrhein) and Lauchringen will be converted into passing stations, allowing trains to pass each other on the single-track section between Waldshut and Erzingen. To improve comfort and accessibility, all 17 stations along the route will be upgraded to provide step-free access for boarding and alighting.
In addition, three new stops will be added at Rheinfelden-Warmbach, Bad Säckingen-Wallbach, and Waldshut-West.
Waldshut station will also receive a new track connection to Koblenz (Switzerland) and undergo a comprehensive redesign.
“The Hochrhein Railway is far more than just an infrastructure project. It’s a symbol of what can be achieved when we think and act beyond borders. The railway will bring people together and in doing so, it will also strengthen our shared values and goals,” the Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Transport said.
In the future, passengers will benefit from more frequent connections between South Baden, Lake Constance, and northern and eastern Switzerland. From the timetable change in December 2027, regional trains are expected to run approximately every 30 minutes, and will be integrated into the Basel trinational S-Bahn network.
In addition to the hourly Regional Express, passengers will also be able to use the new Hochrhein–Bodensee Express, running every two hours, and hourly during peak times from Basel Bad Bf via Waldshut and Constance to St. Gallen/Herisau. Thanks to the introduction of new electric trains, journeys will also become quieter for residents along the route.
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